Celebs have been guest hosting Jeopardy! since the death of longtime host Alex Trebek.  The many hosts have had fans speculating who the next host may be… here in studio, Dave was wanting Jeopardy! contestant alum, Ken Jennings, and Kim was pulling for Levar Burton, of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow fame…

It looks like the new host is going to be someone largely unknown until his own guest hosting stint, the show’s executive producer Mike Richards…

For those unfamiliar with Richards, here’s a clip, released by the Official Jeopardy YouTube Channel of Mike thanking and honoring the late Alex Trebek…

Variety reported that Richards is in advanced negotiations for the job, while Deadline said an announcement is expected in the next few days. Richards has produced other game shows, including The Price Is Right, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Let’s Make a Deal, and actually has hosting experience, including for the game shows Divided and The Pyramid and reality shows including High School Reunion and Beauty and the Geek.

According to reports, execs were impressed by Richards’ command of the game and his on-air personality. Others who’ve reportedly been at the top of the list were Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik and former Jeopardy! contestant Buzzy Cohen.

As for who the show’s fans want, a recent New York Post poll had Ken Jennings in first place, but Richards was second — so a lot of fans liked what they saw with him too!

Source: Newser